Pope Leo XIV Arrives in Equatorial Guinea, Wrapping Up 11-Day Africa Tour

Pope Leo XIV touched down in Equatorial Guinea on April 21, 2026, marking the last stop of an 11-day, four-nation apostolic journey across Africa.

The trip began April 13 and took the pope through Algeria, Cameroon, and Angola before reaching the Catholic-majority nation of Equatorial Guinea. In Angola, he visited a nursing home in Saurimo, celebrated Mass for an estimated 60,000 people, and thanked the local church for its work in promoting reconciliation.

During his Angola visit, the pope spoke directly to the country's leaders, urging them to reject what he called the "logic of extractivism," a pattern where natural resources are taken from a country while its people remain poor. He told young Angolans to build a world free of war, injustice, and poverty.

The pope also addressed the exploitation of the poor by the powerful, calling it a moral failure that the church cannot ignore. He encouraged Angola's Catholic community, which has grown significantly in recent decades, to remain a voice for the vulnerable.

In Cameroon, earlier in the trip, he met with orphans and displaced families affected by ongoing regional conflict. In Algeria, he spoke about interfaith dialogue and the importance of peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims.

The Africa tour is one of the longest papal trips in recent years. Vatican officials said the pope chose Africa deliberately, citing the continent's growing Catholic population and the need for the church to be present where faith is expanding fastest.

Equatorial Guinea, where roughly 90 percent of the population identifies as Catholic, gave the pope a formal state welcome. Local church leaders said the visit was a source of encouragement for communities that often feel overlooked by the global church.

The pope is expected to return to Rome on April 23.